Oct. 10 (UPI) — Olympic gymnast Mary Lou Retton, who vaulted to stardom in 1984 as the first American woman to win gold in the all-around event, is “fighting for her life” in the intensive care unit, according to her daughter.
McKenna Lane Kelley revealed Retton is “not able to breathe on her own” and “has been in the ICU for over a week now” with “a very rare form of pneumonia,” according to a post on the fundraising site Spotfund.
Kelley did not disclose any other information on Retton’s illness.
“Out of respect for her and her privacy, I will not disclose all details,” Kelley, a former gymnast at Louisiana State University, wrote.
In the post titled MaryLouRettonsFight, Kelley also revealed that Retton is “not insured” as she begged for prayers and financial help with the hospital bill.
“ANYTHING, absolutely anything, would be so helpful for my family and my mom,” she wrote.
As of Tuesday night, at least 2,200 donors had contributed more than $111,000, far exceeding the goal of $50,000.
Retton, 55, scored a perfect 10 in the final rotation of the all-around competition at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles to secure the United States’ first-ever gold for the event. Overall, she won five medals at the games, including two silvers for team and vault, and two bronzes for uneven bars and floor exercise.
Following her Olympic gold, Retton enjoyed immense popularity, appearing on a Wheaties box and dozens of magazines with her megawatt smile, as she inspired a generation of young girls to enter the sport.
Retton held her record for 20 years as the only American woman to win the Olympic all-around title before Carly Patterson become the second to win in 2004, followed by Nastia Liken in 2008, Gabby Douglas in 2012, Simone Biles in 2016 and Sunisa Lee in 2020.
Retton was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 1997.
